American Black Bear

The American Black bear (Ursus americanus) is the smallest, and most widely distributed bear species in the United States. Subgenres of the black bear are found regionally through North America, and the PNW is no exception. Allow us to introduce you to the Olympic Black Bear (Ursus americanus altifrontalis), our own nativeblack bear species.

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Brief History of the Olympic Black Bear

The Olympic Black bear was first documented during a biological survey of animals in the Crater Lake, Oregon area in 1896. But it wasn't until 1903 that it was officially recognized as a separate black bear species by American zoologist, Daniel Giraud Elliot.

Habitat and Range

The Olympic Black bear can be found throughout the southern half of British Columbia and throughout Washington State. Their range extends south to northwestern California, west of the Cascade mountain range in OR and CA.

Like most black bears, it prefers forest areas and meadows, much like you might find throughout the Olympic National Park.

Ursus americanus is listed by the IUCN as "least concern" - not threatened.

Characteristics of the Olympic Black Bear

The size of the Olympic Black Bear is fairly average for a black bear species, though larger than both the California and Cinnamon black bears.

99% of black bears in Washington are black in color, though dark brown individuals are occasionally seen. Visitors are more likely to see white to cream colored black bears in SW British Columbia; even blue-tinted bears have been spotted in BC and coastal Alaska.

Average lifespan in the wild is estimated to be about 18 years, with a maximum age of 30 for those in captivity.

A distinguishing feature of the Olympic subspecies of black bear include a wide, bulging forehead and a tan nose.

Olympic Black Bears are excellent foragers, feeding on berries, treenuts, roots, young shoots and buds. What they eat will always vary depending on what is found locally.

Non-vegetable
portions include insects and larvae, eggs found in large nests, including the
bald eagle, another prevalent animal found throughout the PNW.

Oh, and yes – they love honey!

Of
course, favorite meals for Olympic black bears in Western Washington and British Columbia are the
chinook and coho salmon found throughout the many local rivers and streams of the Pacific Northwest.

General Info about American Black Bears

Olympic Black Bears are simply a subspecies of the American Black Bear, which exhibit these physical characteristics:

American black bears are generally 5-6 feet long. A male might weigh between 104–551 pounds, with females weighing about 33% less (86–375 pounds).

The American black bear is an apex predator classified as an omnivore.

The black bear's facial structure includes a broad skull, with a narrowing muzzle and big jaws (10-12 inches total for a male).

Small, round ears sit far back on the head.

Claws are short and curved, black or gray-brown; with a thick base that tapers to a point. A black bear is extremely dexterous, which aids in tree climbing, swimming, digging up insects or roots, and handling fruit, nuts or berries for meals.

The fur is soft, and has two layers – a dense underfur, as well as thick, coarse outer hairs. Coat color variation can range from white, blond, cinnamon, to a dark chocolate brown or jet black.

Though a black bear possesses good hearing and eyesight, their most acute sense is by far the sense of smell, which is seven times greater than that of a dog.

Winnie the Poo was named for Winnipeg, a black bear cub living at the London Zoo from 1915 - 1934

Smokey Bear, mascot of the United States Forest Service (USFS), was in fact a real bear cub with singed feet after getting caught in the Capitan Gap fire of 1950

The Teddy Bear was named after President Teddy Roosevelt, who refused to shoot a bear cub out of a tree during a hunting expedition.

Activity and Behavior

The American black bear
lives independently, marking its territory by clawing tree bark, or rubbing
against them.

Its home range
may be as little as a five mile radius, or as great as one thousand! This
varies due to location and availability of food.

Bears might be active day or night. Those bears found closer to humans tend to prefer
nighttime foraging. On the other hand, individual bears living around brown bears (grizzlies) tend to be
active during the day, so as not to disrupt the feeding habits of the much larger brown bears.

Reproduction and
development

Females (sows) have
their first litter between 3–5 years old, though they might become fertile younger in more
developed areas

The breeding period
lasts for 2–3 months, usually June-July, sometimes August in more northern
regions. Fertilized eggs don't implant until November

The pregnancy lasts 235 days. Litters are usually born in January-February

Litters average 2-3
cubs, with possibly as many as 6.

Cubs

Cubs weigh less than
a pound at birth and are approximately 8 inches in length

What to do if you encounter an American Black Bear in the Wild

So
you are out hiking with your family or friends along one of the many scenic
trails deep in Olympic National Park. Suddenly, several yards ahead you spot an
Olympic Black Bear foraging just off to one side of the trail. What do you do?

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